The Palatka Blue Crab Festival takes over six blocks of St. Johns Avenue and the riverfront every Memorial Day weekend. Hummingbird House is a restored 1871 home in the South Historic District, a few minutes’ walk from the festival gates, with a fenced yard, a long shaded porch, and a driveway where your car stays put all weekend.
Where is the festival, and how close is the house?
In 2026 the festival ran May 22 to 24 along St. Johns Avenue from Memorial Parkway to 6th Street, with the main stage, vendors, and fireworks at the riverfront. The house is on South 4th Street, about three blocks from Riverfront Park. You can walk to the fireworks on Saturday night and walk home without touching the car.
What happens at the Blue Crab Festival?
- More than 100 vendors and seafood, including the crabs the festival is named for.
- Live music on the riverfront stage all three days.
- A water ski show on Saturday and Sunday, and fireworks over the St. Johns on Saturday night.
- A kids’ zone.
Organizers have claimed attendance of more than 120,000 over the weekend. A local volunteer group took over the festival in 2026, so check the festival’s own site for the current program and dates.
Why stay at Hummingbird House for the festival?
- Sleeps six: a king bedroom, a queen bedroom, and a daybed on the landing until a queen Murphy bed arrives, with a Pack ’n Play stored and waiting.
- A porch to retreat to. The long north porch stays shaded all day, with wicker chairs and ceiling fans. When the crowd gets to be enough, the porch is five minutes away.
- Parking for everyone. The paver driveway holds several cars, or the boat trailer if you are fishing the holiday weekend.
- A real kitchen and a grill. Breakfast before the festival, and a patio dinner after.
- Hotel-grade linens, central air, and a washer and dryer.
When should you book?
Memorial Day weekend is the first weekend of the year to fill at the house. If the festival is the reason for your trip, book as soon as your plans are set, and consider arriving Thursday to settle in before the Friday evening opening.
What else is nearby?
Ravine Gardens State Park is five minutes away for a quiet morning, and the downtown murals and Florida’s oldest diner are on the way to the festival. Our festival calendar covers the rest of the year.